Oct 13 Medical Ministry in Nepal

It is not too hard for folks to imagine what we do in the medical ministry. We set up tables. We sort out our medicines. We organize the people to see the doctor in turn. What is difficult to describe is how we manage to get up a mountain to reach a people who have little access to any kind of health care. We were a group of 18 people and a mountain of supplies in three trucks. I was the only American in what was most definitely a Nepali project. Two of our trucks were four wheel drive, but still became stuck in some of the deep muddy ditches. The other truck was a two wheel drive and got stuck in EVERY ditch. There is no way to get a tow truck up in this mountain. We had to rely on man power to keep progress moving. Fortunately, we had a good group of young men with us. I slept in a store (storage) building literally hanging on the side of a mountain with six other women with me.The men slept in the church, which was closer to the toilets. Twas necessary to scale a rock face to get first to the store building and then on up to the church where we held the clinics. During the day, people sat on the rock as they waited their turn to see the doctor. During the night, I climbed the rock several times- in the dark--one handed (mobile phone shedding light in the other hand) and with full bladder to reach the church and then the walk way to the toilets. I love adventure.

During the day, we showed the Jesus video in Nepali, from the back of one of the trucks. The people gathered and watched it over and over. At night, the big screen was brought out and the Jesus Video was the social event of the year for a village without much ( any) technology. Now we are praying that the words they heard and the truths they learned will take root in their hearts, that they will be drawn to the Lord and to the little church in their village.

We have 6 children in our sponsorship program from this village. The children must walk for hours to get from their homes to the place to meet me for the annual Allow gathering. I always feel badly about it, but there is nothing that can be done. I need to meet every child at least once a year-- for accountability. If they come, then I know that they are getting their money. If they are still in school, then we know how the great part of their sponsorship money is being spent. I need to get a new photo and progress report each year and we also give them each a Christmas bag. This year, the bag will contain a new T-shirt, Bible, warm hat, school notebooks, a Christmas craft, toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, candy and hopefully a letter from their sponsor.